The-Lefthander

Overlooking the Sea of Japan in the Shimane Prefecture, the incredible Stairs House offers an intimate interior while providing a welcoming exterior environment. The passive solar house is built not just for a couple and their twin children, but for all the children of the neighborhood to enjoy. The exterior takes the form of a huge staircase that rises two stories and provides views and a place to lounge. The interior is a thoughtfully-designed space that consists of bookcases, cubbies, and open rooms that are illuminated by the constantly changing light provided by the unique windows. Thanks to passive heating and cooling and a host of other green building strategies, the Stairs House stands out for being as generous to the environment as it is to its neighborhood.

Read the rest of Japanese Eco House is a Huge Staircasehttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: Green Building, Japan green home, modern green architecture, passive solar, Shimane Prefecture home, stair house, y+M design studio

The Solar Impulse solar-powered airplane is unstoppable so far. Earlier this summer, the single-seat plane completed its first night flight, and now the aircraft is getting ready for three test flights across Switzerland — from Payerne to Geneva, Geneva to Zurich, and Zurich to Payerne.

Read the rest of Solar Impulse Plane Prepares For Switzerland Test Flightshttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: "solar energy", solar impulse, solar plane, Solar Power, Switzerland

A low-income housing building in Paris is being sustainably renovated to utilize a very unique heating system — it will be literally drawing heat from Parisian commuters in the metro. Each passenger lets out about 100 watts of energy in body heat each time they enter and wait in the subway — couple that energy with the heat from moving and stopping trains, and the temperature in the underground railway stations is consistently higher than it is above ground. The new heating system will draw heat up from underground in much in the same way that geothermal projects do, providing energy to heat the building’s 17 apartments.

Read the rest of Parisian Building Taps Metro System as a Heat Sourcehttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: energy saving heat, energy saving heating system, french sustainable building, green heating system, innovative heating system, paris low income housing, paris sustainable building, parisian heating system, subway heating system, sustainable heat system, sustainable heating system

Read the rest of AirDrop House Emergency Shelter for Flood-Afflicted Areashttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: air drop house, andrew maynard, andrew maynard architecture, Disaster Relief, eco design, Emergency housing, flooding, green architecture, green design, natural disaster, sustainable archtiecture

The Wave Hub, a groundbreaking renewable energy project that is set to become the UK’s first offshore facility dedicated to wave energy, has been installed off the North Coast of Cornwall. Four wave energy generation devices will connect their arrays into the Hub, allowing developers to transmit and then sell their renewable energy to the UK’s electricity distribution grid. The total capacity of the hub will be 20 MWe (megawatt electrical).

Read the rest of World’s Largest Wave Energy Site Now Installed in UKhttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: wave hub, wave hub cornwall, wave hub global wave energy, wave hub installation, wave hub RDA, wave hub wave energy

Remember the good old days, when you’d go to your lectures with nothing more than a pad and a pen? Well, those days may be coming to a close now that the University of Notre Dame has launched the first paperless class taught using Apple’s iPad instead of traditional textbooks.

Read the rest of Notre Dame Launches First Paperless ‘iPad Class’http://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: corey angst ipad study, notre dame corey angst, notre dame ereader study, notre dame ipad, notre dame ipad class, notre dame project management

Here at Inhabitat we love bikes that boast the latest and greatest high-tech materials, but we’re equally impressed by more organic takes on two-wheeled transportation. Combining both of these approaches, Schwinn recently rolled out the Vestige, the world’s first bike built from biodegradable flax fibers. The sturdy flax-framed bike performs similarly to carbon fiber cycles, although the Vestige’s carbon footprint is much lower and it’s actually better at absorbing and dampening road vibrations. The bike also features a snazzy internal lighting system that is powered by a dynamo in the front hub, making it a battery-free eco ride that lights up the night.

+ Schwinn

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: bicycle, bike, flax bike, green materials, green transportation, Schwinn Vestige, sustainable design

Bob Shervin, the owner of a gas station and tire store adjacent to an unsightly metal structure in Jackson, Wyoming, wanted to create an environmentally-friendly, aesthetically-pleasing building that also provided some much-needed affordable housing for his community. He approached Ward + Blake Architects with the additional challenge of maximizing the amount of leasable square footage on the property – all within the confines of a $140 per square foot budget. The resulting eco-building has a lovely roof garden at the second floor that allows apartment dwellers to enjoy the wonderful scenic views of the mountains beyond.

READ MORE >

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: bob shervin, Eco Architecture, eco design, green architecture, Green Building, green design, green roof, jackson, wyoming

Combining the eco-friendly benefits of fast growing bamboo and refurbishable steel with the nostalgia-evoking shape of an elementary school seat, Alex Whitney’s ‘Pennyfields’ chair is a simple, elegant design for modern living. The chair has already received a Metamorphisis award from Metropolitan Works for its innovative design, and it’s set to launch at The Dock, Ladbroke Grove, hosted by Tom Dixon during the London Design Festival.

READ MORE >

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: "green furniture", alex whitney, bamboo, Chair, eco chair, eco furniture, eco products, green chair, green products, lodon design festival, pennyfields, recycled furniture, steel, Tom Dixon

Image © Babak Bassir

Recently developer Omniplan literally blew the roof off of Frank Gehry’s Santa Monica Place, pursuing hopes of LEED Silver in one of the United State’s largest sustainable retail renovations. The $265-million makeover turned the enclosed three-story 1980’s structure into an outdoor mall experience. Although we are admittedly not thrilled by sustainable renovations that cater to more consumerism, we were a little bit tipsy about the green building strategies featured throughout the 200,000 square feet of public space that are now open to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Read the rest of Gehry’s Santa Monica Place Goes Green With LEED Renovationhttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: City of Santa Monica, Frank Gehry, Gehry, Green Building, green renovation, inhabitat, Inhabitat Los Angeles, leed certified, leed silver, Open-Air, public space, Santa Monica Place, Sustainable Building, sustainable renovation

Read the rest of Habana Outpost: An Eco Restaurant Grows in Brooklynhttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: "sustainable architecture", Brooklyn, compostable tableware, eco design, eco restaurant, eco-eatery, green architecture, Green Building, green design, habana outpost, new york city, rainwater collection, Solar Power, Sustainable Building

There are two factors that stand in the way of most solar roof installations – cost and aesthetics. Heritage Solar Slate aims to tackle the latter problem with their innovative solar tiles, which are designed to look just like roofing slates. The photovoltaic slates provide a stylish alternative to standard panels, are fully weatherproof, and are perfect for use on historic buildings in preservation areas. It is hoped that the slate panels will enable groups like The National Trust to reduce the carbon footprint of historical buildings and attractions.

Read the rest of Photovoltaic Slate Tiles Upgrade Your Roof With Solar Powerhttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: "sustainable architecture", Green Building, green design, heritage solar slate, national trust solar panels, photovoltaic tiles, slate solar panels, solar panels conservations, Solar Roof, sustainable design, y stabal

There may — or may not — be some scientific disagreement about how much spilled oil remains in the Gulf of Mexico, but there’s no mystery about how much oily waste is collecting in local landfills: more than 50,000 tons. Although the waste contains the carcinogen benzene, federal law — in another costly giveaway to the industry — exempts wastes related to oil drilling from being classified as toxic, allowing BP to merrily offload their used boom and other materials to local landfills, including several that have histories of environmental problems.

Read the rest of BP Continues to Pollute Local Landfills With Oil Spill Wastehttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: BP, bp oil spill, british petroleum, environmental heatlh, environmental justice, epa, gulf of mexico, offshore drilling, toxics, trash, Waste

Hey eco-fashion followers! Ecouterre, The GreenShows, and designer Luis Valenzuela would like to invite you to the opening night reception of The GreenShows Eco-Fashion Week spring/summer 2011. Rub shoulders with green designers and fashion influencers, while imbibing on vino sponsored by Fair, the world’s first line of fair-trade-certified premium spirits.

READ MORE >

Photo © Tom Hines for Samantha Pleet

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: eco-fashion, eco-fashion events, green fashion, new york fashion week, Sustainable Fashion, sustainable style, the greenshows

Yesterday President Obama gave a Labor Day speech to citizens gathered at the Henry Maier Festival Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that outlined his plan to create more jobs in America while strengthening the green economy. As the country’s unemployment rate hovers around nine percent, the President detailed his ideas for keeping that figure down and ensuring it stays down in the future. He noted government tax incentives for green energy companies, American-made efficient cars, the new American smart grid, and a new plan to install and maintain 4,000 miles of railway across the country.

Read the rest of Obama Focuses on Green Energy and New Railways on Labor Dayhttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: government job creating, green collar economy, green collar job, job creation for us, labor day job creating, obama focuses on green collar economy, obama labor day speech, us job losses

Read the rest of 6 Eco Offices That Beat Your Cubicle Any Dayhttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: "energy efficiency", "prefabricated housing", "sustainable architecture", 2020challenge, aia, bore hole heat pump, California Academy of Art, Cheungvogl, chilled slab, Crepain Binst Architecture, Daylighting, eco design, eco office, european investment bank, glass facade, green architecture, Green Building, green design, green office, indoor gardens, Infrax west, ingenhoven architects, luxembourg, natural ventilation, Nunnmps office, officepod, pete frazier, Prefab, radiant coolings, site-sensitive building, Sustainable Building, sustainable design, thermal cooling, treetop office, VK group

Happy Labor Day!

As households across the states prepare to fire up the BBQ today, why not give your grilling a smaller footprint this year with this awesome mini grill made from a tin of Altoids! This ingenious DIY project was pulled together using an empty tin of Altoids Sours, two salvaged computer fan guards, and a bunch of nuts and bolts, and it’s large enough to hold a single veggie dog or hamburger patty. Don’t forget to check out our guide to throwing a greener BBQ for more great last-minute eco tips!

READ MORE >

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: bbq, diy altoids grill, dyi, green bbq, green design, Recycled Materials, repurposing, sustainable design, upcycling

If you think this dolphin looks furious — it is — and with good reason! This colorful kiddie ride comes courtesy of gleeful art prankster Banksy, an artist well known for his graffiti and politically charged installations. In his most recent creation, the artist transformed a coin-operated ride into a searing statement against the BP oil spill. Wrapped in a real tuna net and fully oiled, this dolphin is fully operable, and ready to take you on a ride that’ll get you forgetting about all the eco-damage BP has done  – and like BP, all you’ve got to do is throw some money at it. Watch a video of this mereswine in motion after the jump.

Read the rest of Banksy’s Coin-Operated, Politically Charged Dolphin Ride Mocks BPhttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: Art, Banksy, bp oil spill, BR, eco-art, Gulf oil spill

Read the rest of BOXHOME: Small Living Inside A Stylish Norwegian Boxhttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: boxhome, eco design, green architecture, Green Building, green design, micro home, norway, Prefab, rintala eggertsson architecture, Sustainable Building, sustainable design, tiny house design

Is texting, twittering and surfing the web on your cell-phone making you stupid? Quite possibly, according to journalist Nicholas Carr, and a whole host of other articles that have been published this year about the deleterious effects of communicating in 40 character bites of information. So, how so we put the ’smart’ back into ’smart phone’ and put those devices to work for your brain? Instead of spending all of your smartphone time texting and twittering, it’s worth checking out some other cool apps you can use on phones that can help you exercise those neurons. If you’re a person who understands the importance of keeping your mind sharp through mental exercise, then you’ll love our latest round-up featuring five awesome apps geared at boosting brainpower. From Sodoku to Wiki Hunt, to a even few sessions with Dr. Kawashima, we guarantee you’ll find more than a few exercises that’ll make your brain sweat!

READ MORE>

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: blackberry, boost brain power, brain power, green app, green technology, iPhone, smartphone, smartphone app